East Ramapo should invest in education

East Ramapo school board President Yehuda Weissmandl should get to know a little more about his district and the community it serves.

According to the U.S. census, the total annual income for residents of East Ramapo is over $2.5 billion. The school tax is $125 million, just 5 percent of income, the lowest percentage in Rockland County.

If East Ramapo spent just 6 percent of its income on public education, like Clarkstown does, there would be enough money to put back all the programs Mr. Weissmandl has cut. If they spent 7 percent, like most Rockland school districts do, there would be enough money for full-day kindergarten and smaller class sizes.

Mr. Weissmandl writes about being at a high school graduation, but was he aware that half of our Latino students were not graduating that day? The graduation rate for Hispanic students is a scandalous 54 percent! Many come from low-income families, but the Spring Valley slumlords they pay rent to are not poor.

When school budgets are defeated, those rent dollars stay in the slumlords' pockets rather than educating the children living in dilapidated housing.

How are we going to achieve unity when the majority of children are brought up in isolation from other ethnic groups? When the only person they see of a different complexion is coming to clean the house? When students in yeshivas are forbidden to read about the lives of the children of their housekeeper?

The recent foray of peaceful activists into a Monsey grocery, and the angry reaction of the shopkeeper, illustrates that the problem is not the critics of "separate but equal" in Ramapo, but those promoting it.

Steven White

Spring Valley

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East Ramapo should invest in education

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